Bleeding NOT!

[Benny Kearns 2]

Hey guys,



What a fine Father's day (hope yours' is better).....



Can't seem to bleed the air out of my brakes.



2003 ST 2WD



Just replaced the front rotors, calipers and pads. Had to do it twice since NAPA gave me the wrong rotors (didn't check that the tire fit over the hub until I put rotors, calipers and pads on the vehicle - ouch).



Anyway, all assembled again. Got stupid and started bleeding from the back, then moved up to front. Still quite spongy - and making quite a creaking noise from the rear when reversing. What am I missing? And - the brake indicator is lit up....





thanks in advance!

 

[Richard L]

You always bleed brakes starting with the furthest wheel from the master cylinder, which would be the right rear, then the left rear, then the right front and finally the left front.



The brake indicator is lit because you probably have air in the lines. If you let the master cylinder reservoir go empty while bleeding, it may have gulped a big air bubble that is now trapped in your brake system. Only solution is to rebleed again, but make sure that you do not let the reservoir run dry. Fill the reservoir and bleed one wheel, top off the reservoir and bleed the next wheel, etc. Keep doing that in the sequence about, and keep topping off the brake reservoir with fresh fluid after each wheel.



It also helps if you use a hose from the brake bleeder submerged into a jar half filled with brake fluid. That way you can see the air bubbles coming out, and if someone is pumping the brakes, they don't let the pedal up when the bleeder nut is open and suck in air into the system.



...Rich

 

[scott degroot]

Gotta ask becasue I have seen alot of peole do this..did you install the calipers on the correct side? If the bleeder valves are on the bottom of the caliper you have them on the wrong side.



If the fluid level in the master went low and then you refilled it there is a good chance that the sensor for the brake fluid level didn't reset itself, you can try tapping on the master to see if this helps, if the light still doesn't go out unplug the sensor itself, if the light still stays lit up then you have another issue and for the record air in the brake lines will not cause the brake light, or the abs light for that matter to illuminate as there is absolutely no way for the vehicle to know that there is air in the system. By the way if you don't cycle the key from on to off while you are trying the above mentioned ideas the light will not turnoff, once it comes on they usually stay illuminated until the key is cycled.

 

[Benny Kearns 2]

Hey,



Tried to post this follow-up yesterday. l1tech had it right - mounted on the wrong side (bleeder valves on the bottom - air getting trapped). Guess I must have gotten lucky all the times in the past cuz I never paid it any mind.....

 

[Todd Z]

Awesome........ L1, Good call.....



Todd Z

 

[Richard L]

Great call l1tech !

I never knew that Ford Sport Trac calipers were reversable? I know some of the vehicles I owned had an "L" or and "R" molded into the caliper body to prevent mixups.



Many years ago I owned an old VW Variant Wagon that a previous owner had replaced the left front caliper with a right front caliper flipped upside-down. I had to remove the caliper, flip it over so the bleed nut was up, insert a block of wood between the pads and then bleed the caliper.....worked like a charm:grin:



I guess I just got into the habit of mounting them with the bleed nut up and never thought that someone would mount them on the wrong side...duh:banghead:



It sounds like you have seen this before...:grin:



And for the record, Air in the master cylinder can trigger a brake indicator light because I have done it several times by letting the master cylinder run dry while flushing/bleeding my brakes. Of course that may depend where the brake pressure switch is located, either in the master cylinder or in a separate switch block under the master cylinder?



...Rich